On the drive back from Tala, Ernie tells Mohammed (our driver) to do a quick little city tour, and we get to see all the things we thought about coming into town to visit this afternoon. We drive past Victoria Market (the major spice and souvenir market) which is teeming with people, then on into the city past the Workshop shopping center (where we had planned to go, but Ernie kept making a point of the fact it wasn’t in a good area and that it was “just shops”), the old courthouse, where there were some museums that looked interesting and the city hall. Everywhere you looked there were tons and tons and tons of people and street stalls and cars and min-vans and, well, just general chaos really!
While this is typically not our style, we decided we didn’t need to come back into town, but instead (after Ernie’s insistence) decided to take the shuttle over to the uShaka Marine World waterfront where there are shops and restaurants and we can have lunch overlooking the water. So that became our plan!
We’re lucky and there is a shuttle waiting for us just as we are getting off the tour bus. We only have to wait a few minutes before we are off to the Marine park which looks like it is right next to the port and an easy walk, but in reality it is a 10 to 15 minute bus ride that has to go all around the port and into the waterfront through some complicated routing. Phew – no way we’d walk or drive around here – it’s way too confusing!
At the park, we manage to get off the bus before the passengers wanting to return to the ship get on (it was touch and go there for a minute, I mean it was lunch time…so….why let people off the bus before getting on – hey – they were hungry!), and make our way through the winding shopping mall (which Ernie referred to as an “alley”) to reach the waterfront. There’s a great beach, with tons of people in the water and surfing and some guys building huge sand sculptures with people’s names on them beside the pier where Moyo’s, a bar and café built out at the end of the pier over the water is located. That’s our destination, a little “pub” (but not the best pub in Ernie’s opinion) with a view for a snack and a drink.
We got all of the above! It’s a great little place perched way up high over the water, with a decent pub type menu and good beer and wine. What more could you want? We sat upstairs on the patio looking out over the beach and the Durban oceanfront skyline while we sipped our drinks and waited for our samosas and fried fish. I wanted to try the Bunny Chow, but when I asked how spicy it was, the waitress said it wasn’t that spicy, but if you weren’t used to it, you might think it was spicy. Okaaaaayyyyyy. That’s enough for me – samosas it is! And they were perfect, just enough to avoid being stuffed, and perfectly seasoned. Ed’s fish on the other hand was a monster! It almost took up the whole table! So much for a little snack, nonetheless, it was nice and juicy and perfectly done and we spent an enjoyable hour or so, eating, sipping our drinks, enjoying the breeze off the ocean and entertaining ourselves by watching a mom and dad teach their 10 year old how to surf. Nice lunch.
On the way back through the “alley” we bought some fudge for the cabin and I lucked into a watch store for a battery for my dress watch (only $2.20, score!). All in all, an excellent day, made even better by the fact that we have the Zulu Kangaroos onboard tonight for their brand of African dancing. Everybody has been talking about them, those on the back to back cruise say they are fantastic – and, well, they are right. These guys are absolutely amazing. They have added acrobatics to traditional Zulu dancing with back flips, handstands, flips and human pyramids. Absolutely amazing. For 15 minutes they entertain us with the most strenuous acrobatics you’ve ever seen, and then they do it again at the other end of the pool deck so everyone can get a chance to see them up close. Talk about athleticism. They are so good, we stay for the 2nd performance too!
An absolutely wonderful way to end a great day. One of the many benefits of sailing Azamara – they always try to bring a local flavor to the cruise – from local performance groups to locally sourced food, recipes, beer and wine to local crafts aboard – its a fabulous way to experience the ports and areas where we sail.
The rest of the evening proceeds as normal, although dinner is in the Living Room (Bar) with tapas and drinks, because after that lunch, who needs more food? Then music and early to bed for our last African excursion in Richard’s Bay.
Andiamo 